Captains Collins, Charlebois give UNH defensive mentality

Tuesday

Sep 30, 2008 at 8:12 PM

DURHAM — A handful of captains’ practices is hardly enough time to decipher a hockey team, but if its choice of captains suggests anything, the University of New Hampshire is serious about its defense.

Mike Zhe

DURHAM — A handful of captains’ practices is hardly enough time to decipher a hockey team, but if its choice of captains suggests anything, the University of New Hampshire is serious about its defense.

The perennially high-flying Wildcats met the media for the first time on Tuesday, four days before they host St. Francis Xavier in their lone exhibition game. The first game that counts is Oct. 11 against Wisconsin.

But already it’s apparent that keeping more pucks out of the net is a priority. Senior Joe Charlebois, a 6-foot-1 stay-at-home defenseman, and classmate Greg Collins, a left wing on the shutdown line, are the two guys leading UNH into its new season with the “C” on their chests.

“I think the mentality of the team is going to be doing the little things,” said Collins, who managed just four goals and 11 points last season but spent most of his ice time harassing the opponent’s top line. “Blocking shots, making checks, finishing hits ... we’ve got guys who can score.”

Scoring wasn’t enough down the stretch last year for the ’Cats, who were runaway winners in the Hockey East regular season — their second straight title — but blew a 4-1 lead in a 5-4, triple-overtime loss to eventual national champion Boston College in the league semifinals.

The final insult came a week later, when Notre Dame pinned a 7-3 defeat on them in the first round of the NCAA tournament, though the final two goals were empty-net ones.

The Wildcats weren’t terrible defensively last year, ranking 17th nationally with 2.47 goals allowed. But that was complementing a fourth-best-in-the-nation offense (3.47 goals), and it seemed to be too porous in the biggest games.

With a new goalie — junior Brian Foster — tabbed to replace the reliable Kevin Regan, the ’Cats would love to make his life a little easier.

“Greg and I bring a defensive game, a defensive mentality to the practices and games,” said Charlebois, who was named the best defensive defenseman in Hockey East last season. “Some captains are in your face, very loud. We can be like that. Behind closed doors we make sure they listen.”

Seniors Jamie Fritsch and Kevin Kapstad, and junior Nick Krates are the other returning regulars on the blueline. Two freshmen who could crack the lineup are Blake Kessel — the 6-foot-2, 210-pound younger brother of Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel — and 6-foot-1, 205-pound Damon Kipp.

Up front, despite the loss of their two leading scorers, there’s optimism with the return of players like left wing James vanRiemsdyk — a No. 2 overall NHL draft pick who opted to return to school after an 11-goal, 34-point freshman year — Jerry Pollastrone (15-14-29), Danny Dries (11-17-28) and Bobby Butler (14-12-26).

Phil DeSimone, Paul Thompson and Mike Sislo are guys who’ll be looked to for production after playing nightly on lower lines as freshmen.

“That’s the plan,” said Umile. “I think we’re going to be a team typical of UNH, that can generate offense.”

Foster has seen spot action backing up Regan in each of the last two seasons, and owns a record of 4-4-2, a goals-against average of 2.69 and a save percentage of .915.

“We’ve had some great goaltenders here and I think Brian Foster is going to be in that category,” said Umile. “He’s a great athlete. You see that in the dryland (training). He’s proven he can play.”

The Wildcats were picked to finish third in Hockey East in the preseason coaches’ poll, behind BC and Boston University.

“We try not to look at those numbers,” said Charlebois. “You see them at the beginning of the year, look at them quick and maybe get a smile. Then you get down to business.”

NOTES: C Alan Thompson, who missed all of last year and most of 2006-07 with knee injuries, is skating and expected to be ready for the opener. The senior from Gilford, who turned 24 on Sunday, has dressed for just seven games in his UNH career. ... St. Francis Xavier went 12-16 last year playing in the Atlantic Universities Athletic Association. The Whittemore Center tilt will be its fifth exhibition game, and it will play at UMass-Lowell on Sunday.

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